This post is from my friend Forrest who does a lot of lofi photography stuff. On top is his modified Holga and the bottom is a shot taken with it. I love how the exposure extends all the way to the edges.

"We all know the Holga can create some amazing 6×6 images, but did you know it can also use 35mm film? With a bit of ingenuity, foam, and tape, a Holga can be outfitted with 35mm film to create some spectacular photos. After developing, you can scan your negatives to catch the full effect of the Holga 35mm frame."

The Lomography site has a page about the Holga 35mm mod process which can be found here.

Shud says:

ahhhh, the old 35mm jammed in a holga styles…
i tried this 2 or 3 summers ago and the results were terrible.
holga’s are fun though…another thing i’ve found is to avoid getting prints, just get the film developed and scan at home, do your magic, THEN print. developers are subject to interpretation and making things look proper when they shouldn’t.

That’s so true, Shud. I always just get my negatives developed without prints when I do anything with my Holga, and scan it at home. Also, it’s a good thing to tell them not to cut it, I have had more than one frame cut in half because their machines can’t recognize where one ends and the other begins.

The only issue with the kit that they sell (as far as I know) is that it has the mask so the film will stay flat, but it covers up the sprocket holes, therefor not able to give it that cool effect that it is known for.

10

Chelsey says:

Forrest, do you develop your black and white photos yourself? I’ve only ever developed 35mm and I’m not sure how to go about getting the 120 in the canister. Do you know if it’s pretty much the same, just extending the reel so the 120 film can fit onto it? I’d love to get my b/w Holgas in print =]

Chelsey,
Yes. If you are using the newer white plastic reels, all you need is that extender piece and it works just the same! Personally I prefer the metal reels to the plastic, but they both get the job done.

You don’t need the paper (or whatever that is) to hold the canister in. When you put the back on, it’s such a tight fit the canister won’t move. This is the correct way to do this, tho; the adapter they provide, kills a lot of the awesomeness of these picts.